Notice from the Office of the National Forestry Administration on Launching a Pilot Program for the Development of Forest-Characteristic Small Towns

Office Document No. [2017] 110

　　Forestry Departments (Bureaus) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government; Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Daxinganling Forest Industry (Forestry) Groups; Forestry Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:

　　To implement the spirit of Document No. 6 [2015] issued by the CPC Central Committee, further advance the reform of state-owned forest farms and state-owned forest areas, as well as the supply-side structural reform in the forestry sector, and promote a shift in the forestry development model—from one primarily focused on extracting economic benefits from forests to one centered on protecting forests and providing ecological services—we will enhance the capacity and service quality of ecological products such as forest tourism, leisure vacations, and sports-based health programs, continuously meeting the growing and pressing demands of the public for ecological well-being, and substantially elevating the strategic position of forestry in national economic development. Accordingly, our bureau has decided to launch a pilot program for the construction of “forest-themed small towns” in state-owned forest farms and state-owned forest areas, in order to explore approaches and summarize experiences for the comprehensive promotion of forest-themed small-town development. The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:

　　I. Purpose of Construction

　　A forest-themed characteristic town refers to a development platform that leverages the abundant forest resources and favorable ecological environment of state-owned forestry farms and forestry bureaus—specifically, their headquarters, bureau offices, and work zones—to create innovative, integrated spaces. These towns make strategic use of aging site facilities and residential buildings, employing scientific planning and rational layout to build comprehensive reception facilities, well-developed infrastructure, and fully functional service systems. Their primary focus is on providing eco-products and ecological services such as forest sightseeing tours, leisure vacations, and sports-based health programs, while seamlessly integrating industrial, cultural, tourism, and community functions.

　　Developing forest-themed small towns will help state-owned forestry farms and state-owned forest areas enhance their ability to attract and allocate specialized forestry resources, promote resource integration and industrial convergence, and facilitate industrial agglomeration, innovation, and transformation and upgrading. It will also deepen the reform of state-owned forestry farms and forest areas, boost their transformative development, improve living and working conditions in these areas, increase workers’ incomes, and strengthen their long-term development momentum. Moreover, it will advance the supply-side structural reform of the forestry sector, enhance the capacity and quality of ecological products and services, and continuously meet the growing demand for ecological well-being among the general public. It will further protect the ecological environment and improve people’s livelihoods, stimulate economic development in state-owned forestry farms and forest areas, increase farmers’ incomes, support poverty alleviation efforts, and earnestly implement the new development philosophy proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, such as “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”

　　II. Pilot Principles

　　(1) Adhere to an ecology-oriented approach and prioritize conservation. The construction of forest-themed small towns should take as its starting point and foundation the protection of local forest resources, pristine ecosystems, and original ecological landscapes. On the premise of ensuring an overall increase in forest resources, improved forest quality, and enhanced ecological functions, we should adopt environmentally friendly and resource-efficient construction models and approaches, thereby achieving an organic integration of ecological environment, ecological culture, forest landscapes, and service facilities. We must fully leverage the multiple ecological functions of forests to provide society with more ecological products and higher-quality ecological services.

　　(2) Adhere to scientific planning and orderly development. The planning should be integrated with the development plans of state-owned forest farms and state-owned forest areas, as well as with forest management schemes. We must prioritize planning, adopt scientific design, ground ourselves in reality, deeply explore distinctive features, and identify clear directions for development. Planning must strictly adhere to the carrying capacity of the local ecological environment, be scientifically designed, undergo rigorous scientific assessment and validation, and be strictly implemented after being approved according to established procedures.

　　(3) Adhere to a pilot-first, steady-progress approach. Priority should be given to selecting state-owned forest farms and forestry bureaus in state-owned forest areas that have a solid development foundation, strong government support, and high enthusiasm for construction as pilot sites. On the basis of promptly summarizing the successful experiences and models from these pilots, we should gradually demonstrate and promote them in a steady and orderly manner.

　　(4) Adhere to a model of government guidance, forestry farm leadership, and diversified operations. Forestry authorities at all levels should actively coordinate with relevant departments to provide preferential treatment in areas such as infrastructure construction, project approval and funding allocation, relocation, land-use approvals, and investment and financing policies. They should continuously optimize policies and the investment and financing environment, and strongly support the development of these small towns. State-owned forestry farms and state-owned forest district forestry bureaus—the main entities responsible for the construction of forest-themed small towns—should create favorable conditions and promote effective connections between these towns, enterprises, and financial institutions, thereby fostering integrated development and mutual growth among farms, towns, and enterprises.

　　III. Pilot Program Content

　　(1) Scope and Scale: Approximately 30 units will be selected from among state-owned forest farms and forestry bureaus in state-owned forest areas nationwide as the first batch of national pilot sites.

　　(2) Construction Approach. On the basis of stabilizing and fully safeguarding the property rights over forest resources in state-owned forestry farms and state-owned forest areas, we may adopt a model that separates the right to use from the right to operate, thereby giving greater operational flexibility. We can promote small-town development through various models such as self-construction, joint ventures, and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) collaborations, thus achieving effective alignment among towns, enterprises, and local communities, fostering mutual benefits and integrated development. In developing these small towns, we should prioritize renovation and upgrading over new construction. As a general rule, no new construction should be undertaken; if new construction is absolutely necessary, it must be strictly controlled and rigorously reviewed. The focus should be on renovating and repurposing old sites—including work areas, office buildings, and residential housing—of state-owned forestry farms and forestry bureaus in state-owned forest areas, transforming them into distinctive local-style accommodations and forest lodges that closely integrate with the original ecological landscape. Special attention should be paid to synergizing these efforts with initiatives such as ecological poverty alleviation, renovation of dilapidated housing in forestry farms, relocation and resettlement of residents, reconstruction of forestry farm headquarters, and the construction of forest parks and wetland parks, so as to promote mutual reinforcement and integrated development.

　　(3) Construction Conditions

　　1. It should be of a certain scale. Generally, the site should be located in an area with a concentrated distribution of forests, where forest coverage typically exceeds 60%. The area should feature beautiful forest landscapes, a favorable surrounding ecological environment, strong cultural heritage, and no major pollution sources. It should be developed by large-scale state-owned forestry farms or state-owned forestry bureaus in forested regions.

　　2. High level of enthusiasm for development. State-owned forest farms and forestry bureaus in state-owned forest areas demonstrate strong enthusiasm for development. Local governments attach great importance to the construction of distinctive forest-themed towns and provide robust policy support in areas such as project investment, attracting foreign investment, land-use incentives, and infrastructure development.

　　3. The leading industries are accurately positioned. Relying primarily on forest resources and ecological advantages, we will focus on developing green industries such as forest tourism and sightseeing, leisure and vacation resorts, sports and health-oriented activities, as well as the cultivation, harvesting, and primary processing of forest products—including forest foods and forest medicinal herbs.

　　4. The infrastructure is relatively well-developed. The forestry bureaus in state-owned forest farms and state-owned forest areas have relatively well-equipped infrastructure, including water, electricity, roads, and communications. In principle, construction sites should be located within a 50-100 kilometer radius of an airport or high-speed railway station.

　　(4) Main construction contents

　　1. Improve reception facilities. By renovating outdated work areas, forestry stations, and residential buildings in state-owned forest farms and forestry bureaus located in state-owned forest regions, we will develop distinctive local-style residences and forest cabins that seamlessly integrate with the town’s unique forest-themed ecological landscape. We will strive to enhance our accommodation and dining capabilities as well as the quality of our services.

　　2. Improve infrastructure. Construct essential infrastructure such as water, electricity, roads, communication networks, and ecological environment monitoring systems, as well as supporting facilities for sightseeing, recreation, and wellness services—including forest trails—providing the necessary foundation for offering leisure and wellness services such as recreation, vacationing, recuperation, health care, and elderly care. Continuously enhance the town’s capacity, standards, and quality of public services.

　　3. Foster new forms of industrial development. Fully tap into and leverage local natural landscapes, forest environments, and leisure-and-wellness resources, actively introduce advanced concepts and models from the forest health and wellness and leisure-and-wellness industries, and vigorously explore and develop new formats such as forest tourism and leisure-based wellness. Expand the development space for state-owned forestry farms and state-owned forest areas, promote the quality upgrade of ecological economies in small towns, and enhance their unique competitiveness.

　　(5) Work Procedures

　　1. Conduct a thorough assessment of existing assets. All provinces (including autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, forestry industrial groups, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps—hereinafter referred to as “provinces”) should promptly organize teams to survey and assess the status and potential for developing forest-themed small towns in their respective state-owned forest farms and state-owned forest areas, and complete the Survey and Statistical Form on Forest-Themed Small Town Resources (see Attachment 1).

　　2. Recommendation for submission: Each province shall organize state-owned forest farms and forestry bureaus in state-owned forest areas to carry out pilot applications for the construction of distinctive forest-themed towns. Based on local conditions, each province should recommend 2–3 state-owned forest farms or forestry bureaus in state-owned forest areas to serve as national pilot sites, and complete the pilot application form (see Appendix 2).

　　3. Identify pilot sites. Based on recommendations from each province, our bureau will comprehensively consider factors such as regional layout, construction characteristics, and distinctive development features to identify and publicly announce the pilot units for the construction of forest-themed特色小镇 nationwide.

　　IV. Relevant Requirements

　　Localities should promptly arrange and deploy pilot work for the construction of forest-themed特色小镇, and carry out thorough baseline surveys and pilot application submissions. Carefully complete the survey and statistical forms on the resources of forest-themed特色小镇, ensuring that all information is objective, authentic, and accurate. For units recommended as pilot sites, please provide written materials of approximately 3,000 words along with a conceptual plan for the town. Where feasible, you may also submit video materials lasting 10 to 15 minutes.

　　The textual materials should include key contents such as the basic information on project construction, construction objectives, construction tasks, construction methods, and implementation strategies. The conceptual plan should cover town-area industrial planning, functional layout, construction of supporting facilities, and research on cultural heritage.

　　Please submit the written materials and electronic versions to our bureau by September 30, 2017.

　　Contact persons: Zhang Jing and Liu Peng, General Station of Forest Nurseries, State Forestry Administration

　　Phone: 010-84238813, 84239854 (Fax)

　　Email: 806@forestry.gov.cn

　　Hereby notified.

Office of the State Forestry Administration

July 4, 2017